Sick Leave Bank

HUMAN RESOURCE SERVICES

POLICY 48: SICK LEAVE BANK

A Sick Leave Bank (Bank) for catastrophic illness and/or injury for active, full-time eligible employees will be established and administered in accordance with the procedures set forth below. The Bank can provide payment during extended sick leave to an employee (not family member) for catastrophic illness, injury, or incapacitation sufficiently severe to self so that regular attendance at work is inadvisable and/or impossible.

Definitions

Catastrophic illness and/or injury is defined as a severe, doctor-certified, long-term health related condition of an employee, which requires the services of a licensed medical professional over a prolonged period of time and results in an extended absence for treatment or recovery.

The employee must have missed a minimum of 8 consecutive working days to be eligible.

Member of the Bank is an active, full-time, employee. S(he) must agree, in writing, to contribute one earned sick leave day upon admission to the Bank and agree to contribute subsequently when deemed necessary by the Bank Committee (membership requires least 8 accrued sick days and employment for a minimum of 1 year in a benefits eligible position).

An Open Enrollment shall occur from October 1 to October 31 of each school year, or election to join upon the employee’s one year anniversary may take place within the first 30 days on the job for a new employee.

Working Day is Monday through Friday, excluding holidays.

Rules

All active, full-time, benefits-eligible employees of the District meeting the criteria are eligible to participate in the Bank. Participation is strictly voluntary.

Bank members may be granted leave from the Bank only after all their available paid sick leave and/or vacation leave has been exhausted and upon approval of the Bank Committee. The maximum number of Bank days that can be granted in any school year is 15 days. The maximum number of Bank days awarded to an employee during his/her employment with the District will be 90 days.

Members utilizing leave days from the Bank will not be allowed to be employed in any other capacity. Members shall not be entitled to accumulate sick leave while drawing leave from the Bank.

Members utilizing days from the Bank will not have to replace these days except as a regular contributing member to the Bank. All unused days in the Bank at the end of the school year shall be carried over by the Bank to the next school year.

A member’s right to utilize the benefits of theBank may only be canceled for the following reasons:

separation from employment with the District,

failure to make the required membership contribution during the specified open enrollment periods,

refusal or failure to make such additional contribution as may be required to prevent bankruptcy of the Bank, or

falsifying documents submitted to the Bank Committee upon which a decision is/was considered.

Bank leave may not be used for the following: (1) elective surgery; and (2) workers' compensation eligibility for indemnity temporary/impairment income benefits; payment may be reduced by any payment from short-term disability.

Membership Procedures

Employees wishing to become members of theBank must complete a membership application that authorizes the deduction of one day of sick leave for the Bank during the open enrollment period or at the time of hire. Upon eligibility this authorizes the deduction of one day of sick leave to join and subsequently whenever deemed necessary by the Bank Committee. Once a member of the Bank, the employee will remain a member except when membership is cancelled as set forth above or the employee advises the Bank Committee in writing that s/he no longer wishes to be a participating member of the Bank. Employees may not reclaim day(s) contributed to the Bank when leaving Bank membership.

Process

Members wishing to draw upon leave from the Bank must complete an application for Bank days. Application forms for Bank days must be completed properly and submitted to the Human Resources Department no later than five days after the employee’s last day of paid sick or vacation leave.

This application must be accompanied by a physician’s statement confirming the nature and expected duration of the illness or injury.

If the member is incapacitated, his/her application may be submitted to the Bank Committee by a family member or a legal designee.

After verifying eligibility, the Human Resources Department will forward the application to the Bank Committee for review and consideration. The Bank Committee shall meet as soon as possible after receiving the application to vote to approve or deny the request. All decisions of the Bank Committee will be communicated in writing.

The Bank Committee may request confirming information on the need for Bank days at any time. As appropriate, the Bank Committee may request a second opinion of the employee’s condition at the employee’s expense.

Bank Committee Organization

The administration of the Bank will be under the direction of the Bank Committee appointed by the Chief Administrative and Human Resource Services Officer, and a Bank Chairperson will be elected from the members of the Bank Committee at its first meeting of each school year. The Bank Committee will consist of:

two teachers,

one building-level administrator,

one District Office administrator,

one support staff member,

one instructional assistant,

two other staff members.

At least a quorum of the Bank Committee members must be present at any meeting where a decision to grant leave from the Bank is made. A majority of the members present must vote in favor of the motion in order for it to carry.

Appeals Process

Should an employee disagree with the Bank Committee’s decision, s/he may submit a written appeal and other information to the Bank Committee Chairperson within five work days of the Bank Committee’s initial decision.

The Bank Committee will review the information and make a final decision concerning the employee’s initial request within a reasonable period of time. Decisions of the Bank Committee are final.

Annual Report

The Bank Committee will be responsible for providing an annual report to the membership and the Superintendent. This report will include the number of requests, requests approved/disapproved, and the number of days remaining in the Bank.

Exhaustion of Bank Days

In the event the Bank days drops below 300 days, the Bank Committee may require all current Bank members to contribute an additional day in order to maintain their membership in the Bank. Bank members will be notified of the need for the leave contribution and given the opportunity to indicate their intent to continue membership or withdrawal from the Bank.

Rosella Robinson, Beaufort County School District, Human Resources Benefits Department, is the administrator for the Sick Leave Bank. You may contact her by telephone (843) 322-2300 or by e-mail, Rosella.Robinson@beaufort.k12.sc.us in reference to Sick Leave Bank issues